Long Compton is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England near the extreme southern tip of Warwickshire, and close to the border with Oxfordshire. It is part of the district of Stratford-on-Avon and in the 2001 census had a population of 705.
The village is in the Cotswolds and is located on the A3400 (formerly the A34) from Oxford to Stratford-upon-Avon. As the name implies it is a long village. In the centre is the large church of St Peter and St Paul, which dates from the 13th century.
Walter West, the grandfather of Fred West, was born in Long Compton.
About one mile south of Long Compton are the Rollright Stones, a neolithic monument. According to local legend, the stones are the remains of a King who set out to conquer England but was hailed by a witch who told him to take seven strides and then:
- If Long Compton thou canst see
- King of England thou shalt be
The King took seven strides but instead of seeing Long Compton he saw a spur of land obstructing the view. The witch said:
- As Long Compton thou canst not see
- King of England thou shalt not be.
- Rise up stick, and stand still, stone
- For King of England thou shalt be none.
- Thou and thy men hoar stones shalt be,
- And I myself an eldern tree
Famous quotes containing the word long:
“In the mountains, the shortest way is from peak to peak: but for that you must have long legs. Aphorisms should be peaks: and those to whom they are addressed, great and lofty.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)